LYNN — The educational center at Briarcliff will be named in honor of Lynn civil rights activist Virginia M. Barton on Thursday.
Barton was known for her dedication to fighting racism and her decades of service to the community. In 1968, she and leaders of the NAACP Lynn Branch led a peaceful demonstration of third-party presidential candidate and former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace’s campaign rally at Briarcliff Lodge due to his segregationist platform.
Before her death in 2010 at the age of 82, Barton worked for the Lynn Economic Opportunity and Lynn Public Schools. She also presided over the North Shore NAACP, co-chairing Citizens Against Racism, and acted as a board member on the Greater Lynn Racial Harmony Committee.
The dedication ceremony will take place at 112 Kernwood Dr. at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Mayor Jared Nicholson highlighted the significance of naming the building after Barton.
“Virginia Barton was a fierce advocate for civil rights who led by doing. She experienced the ugliness of racism first-hand and worked tirelessly to try to shield others from a similar experience. It is not an exaggeration to say she accomplished as much in that regard as anyone in our City who has ever taken up that fight,” Nicholson said.
He added, “It is so appropriate that we name this building for her, considering the population it serves in an effort to see that all of our students have an equal opportunity to thrive. As we honor Mrs. Barton’s commitment to education, it is our fervent hope that we can all be inspired by the courage and conviction that she brought to this site in 1968.”
